The Simple Things

It's been two weeks since I've been able to go to the hospice house. I've been helping my mother-in-law get a new hearing aid. She has dementia and gets really confused sometimes so I am trying to spend as much time with her as possible.

But today I got to go do my volunteer job. As I was driving there I prayed that God would use me as His hands, His feet and His voice. I'm learning to expect the unexpected. I never know who I will meet or how I will be used.

When I got there and signed in I saw that no one was at the welcome desk so I spent some time greeting visitors as they came in. The phone rang and it was the Volunteer Coordinator asking me to come over to the office to pick up more quilts. Every guest receives a hand made lap quilt. Not sure who makes them but they are always pretty.

After the quilts were put away I got the hospitality cart and started making my rounds. Many of the patients were sleeping and I never bother them. Peeking into one of the rooms I saw a lady in bed watching TV. Her name was Betty so I knocked on the door and cheerily said "Hi, Miss Betty! My name is Sheila and I'm a volunteer here." Smiling she invited me in for a visit. She didn't need anything from the cart but I could tell from her twinkling eyes that she was glad to have a visitor. "As soon as I get my strength back in my legs I'm going home", she told me. "I just want to sleep in my own bed with my sweet cat." We chatted about her cat and the beautiful fresh tulips and iris that were in a vase on her bed tray. I love iris and as I was smelling them she said "Everywhere I have lived I have dug up and taken those bulbs with me and they always bloom." As she continued to tell me about her cat and the flowers I gently touched her arm and listened.

Sometimes God works big miracles and sometimes small ones. Sometimes all He wants us to do is to smile, listen and offer a gentle touch to let someone know He loves them. I'm not sure if Miss Betty will get to go home to her cat and flowers or not. But I can almost guarantee that when she gets to her new home in heaven she'll find a garden full of iris waiting for her. And maybe a cat too!

The Simple Things

It's been two weeks since I've been able to go to the hospice house. I've been helping my mother-in-law get a new hearing aid. She has dementia and gets really confused sometimes so I am trying to spend as much time with her as possible.

But today I got to go do my volunteer job. As I was driving there I prayed that God would use me as His hands, His feet and His voice. I'm learning to expect the unexpected. I never know who I will meet or how I will be used.

When I got there and signed in I saw that no one was at the welcome desk so I spent some time greeting visitors as they came in. The phone rang and it was the Volunteer Coordinator asking me to come over to the office to pick up more quilts. Every guest receives a hand made lap quilt. Not sure who make them but they are always pretty.

After the quilts were put away and got the hospitality cart and started making my rounds. Many of the patients were sleeping and I never bother them. Peeking into one of the rooms I saw a lady in bed watching TV. Her name was Betty so I knocked on the door and cheerily said "Hi, Miss Betty! My name is Sheila and I'm a volunteer here." Smiling she invited me in for a visit. She didn't need anything from the cart but I could tell from her twinkling eyes that she was glad to have a visitor. "As soon as I get my strength back in my legs I'm going home", she told me. "I just want to sleep in my own bed with my sweet cat". We chatted about her cat and the beautiful fresh tulips and iris that we in a vase on her bed tray. I love iris and as I was smelling them she said "Everywhere I have lived I have dug up and taken those bulbs with me and they always bloom." As she continued to tell me about her cat and flowers I gently touched her arm and listened.

Sometimes God works big miracles and sometimes small ones. Sometimes all He wants us to do is to smile, listen and offer a gentle touch to let someone know He loves them. I'm not sure if Miss Betty will get to go home to her cat and flowers or not. But I can almost guarantee that when she gets to her new home in heaven she'll find a garden full of iris waiting for her. And maybe a cat too!

The Faith of a Mustard Seed

It's been a week since I was at the hospice house. I really hoped that Mrs. B would still be there. This time I brought my plucked psaltry - a stringed instrument kind of like a mini dulcimer. When I went in to her room she was so glad to see me. I asked her if she would like for me to play some songs for her and she nodded her head. I began to play some old hymns. She smiled and drifted off to sleep. How peaceful she looked - and content.

I let her sleep for awhile - went down to the cafeteria for something to eat. When I got back she was still sleeping until a friend of hers came into the room. Her friend and I were trying to whisper quietly so not to wake her but we failed. She started saying "Hey, hey!" Her friend visited with her for awhile then something amazing happened. Mrs. B called for me, she took both of our hands and began to speak to us in a clear voice. "God told me to tell you that He loves you, loves you, loves you. He has you in his hands and is using you both in a mighty way." Then she started praying. Not for herself and her health situation but for us. Here was a lady who had served God all of her life, needed God's help and she was praying for US! I couldn't help but cry. She prayed with such faith - more than a mustard seed worth - and it touched me so deeply.

Before I left I told her that I thanked God for bringing her into my life and that I love her. She touched my face and said "I love you too". My faith was built up today.

My First Day

Where do I begin??? I am first and foremost a pianist. I have played piano for over 50 years. I've been a music director at many churches, music directed at a community theatre and I am currently the accompanist at a local high school. So what possessed me to become a hospice volunteer? Well, actually, it was my husband. I had just been fired from a music director position at a local church. We just didn't see eye to eye on how a worship service should work. Anyway, I was really depressed about it. My husband sent me an email from work saying "you have so many talents that you have never explored". I got to thinking about that and praying. Maybe God wanted to use me in a new way.

I thought about becoming a chaplain but by the time I finished all the schooling I would be ready to retire. After talking to a friend she suggested being a Life Coach. So I started researching that. I've always been the one that friends come to when they are in grief. Whether its losing a parent, grandparent, job, home...they seem to seek me out. God has given me a heart of compassion. I'm just a natural comforter and encourager. I felt like God was calling me to help those in grief and help them to restore joy in their lives.

I will start my training to be a Christian Life Coach in the fall. But I wanted to do something now. A pastor friend of mine suggested volunteering at a local hospice house. So that is what I am doing.

My first day I was asked to sit with a lady for a few hours until her daughter could get there after work. So I went to the hospice house and that's where I met Mrs. B. She is a very frail and fragile lady who has severe dementia and is very hard to understand. My first thought was "what have I gotten myself into". I tried talking to her but it was so difficult. After about 2 hours of being with her Mrs. B's pastor come to visit her. He said she used to be a pastor's wife and that she sang in the choir and did lots of solos. Finally, something I might be able to connect with her on - music. After he left, I told her that I was a pianist and had been a music director at several churches. I told her that one of my favorite songs was "His Eye Is On The Sparrow". Mrs. B sat up straighter in her bed, opened her mouth and started to sing the song. I just couldn't believe it. Her was this little lady who could barely form words to speak singing in a strong beautiful alto voice. She knew every word and never missed a beat.

So I joined her in the song. When the song was over she looked at me, smiled and said "You have a lovely voice." "So do you", I responded. Then she was back to mumbling again.

They say that music uses a different part of the brain than speaking. For one minute, one very special minute we connected. God is so good!